Chungnam, Radioactivity Inspection of School Meal Ingredients

[Asia Economy (Naepo) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The Chungnam Provincial Institute of Health and Environment announced on the 16th that it will conduct radiation safety inspections on food ingredients supplied to local school meals.

The inspections are being carried out in response to the sequential reopening of schools starting from the 20th of last month, which had been delayed due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

The inspection targets are agricultural and marine products supplied to elementary, middle, and high school meals within the province where cooking facilities are installed. The inspections involve precise analysis of radiation contamination indicators such as iodine and cesium to determine safety.

If trace amounts of radiation are detected during the inspection, additional tests will be requested from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to check for contamination by other radionuclides.

Furthermore, if a product is judged as 'non-compliant,' information about the producer and shipper will be registered in the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's Integrated Food Safety Information Network and Food Administration Integrated System, and the relevant agricultural and marine products will be immediately seized and disposed of through administrative measures.

The inspection results will be disclosed quarterly on the website of the Provincial Institute of Health and Environment.

A representative of the Provincial Institute of Health and Environment stated, “Radiation safety inspections of school meal ingredients have been continuously conducted since 2017 to ensure food safety,” and added, “The Provincial Institute of Health and Environment will continue to do its best to protect the safety of food for the residents.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.